The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-10-22
He Fathers the Land Tax Message.
Gives the. Lie to- Cappeller,
and then Lies About 1t
Himself.
The Windy and Willy, but Weak and
Wabbling Governor Caught
in q Tight Place.
He Not Only Wrote the Message
but, by a Bill Concocted in
His own office, Sought
to Give 1t the Force
of Law.


at Forakcr's meeting to hear his de.
fense OF his special message, and ate,
they heard it they shook their heads
so!emnly and went away far from sat
isfed. Many expected to hear him
deny the authenticity OF the message
aud declare it forgery. But on the
contrary, he squarely gave the lie to
Cappeller and the Republican Execu-
tive Committee and said it was genuine
and he still stood by it. He explained
to the farmers that the real object OF
the Message was to compel the private
bankers, who were concealing their
property, and foreign corporations to
pay their share OF taxes. AS for real
estate, why, he insisted that there was
no proposal at all to increase its valua-
tion, but on the contrary, to reduce 1t.
The whole point of his defensive ex-
PLANTATION was that he commenced
reduction in real estate valuation.
And now, says w. A. Taylor, in the
Cincinnati Enquirer, mark how plain
. tale will put him down.
On the 9th day OF April, 1880. he sent
his special message-which Chairman
Cappeller first denounced as q Demo-
cratic forgery, and which Governor
Foraker again reafiirmed at Wauseon
was authentic and accurate-to the
Legislature.
THE SALIENT FEATURES
OF that message related to an immediate
revauation and increase OF the taxable
value OF real estate. Among other re-
concentrations were the following:
/. "Unless the tax rate or the vaiua-
tion Of property Is INCREASED the
casual deficiencies will continue and
grow larger without power to provide
2. "The valuation of real estate rarely
exceeds rs per cent, and ranges down
ward from that point as low as rs per
cent. OF its true value, while personal
property is valued all the way from its
true value down to nothing. In fact
the great majority of the personal
property of the State is not returned,
hut entirely and fraudulently withheld
from taxation"
8. ut is recommended, therefore, that
q rernluafion be had at once, instead of
waiting for the next decennial valuation
These recommendations are clear,
explicit, and have unconditional re-
ference to
AN INCREASE
OF the valuation OF real estate, not de-
crease or equalization as Governor
Foraker now claims and endeayors to
make people believe.
These recommendation were fully
understood at the time, and on the 9th
day OF April, 1885, three days after they
were sent in, Hon. S. w. Brown, of
Warren, Chairman of the Finance Com
mittee, after repeated conferences with
Governor Foraker, int oduced the fol-
lowing bill, ,rhich ivas almost ,vh0lly
drapn By Governor Foraker himself:
To amend sections 27s6, 27Ss, 27Sa, 270o,
2703, 2794, y79t, 279S, 2SO2 and 2SO3,
as amended March II. 1881 Us v. 47),
and to supplement section 27X6 of the
Revised Statutes of Ohio, relative to
assessing real estate.
The reader by turning to the Revised
Statutes will readily understand what I
have to say about this matter. Section
.7S,i WAS left the same as it now stands
in the Revised Statutes, except that it
provided for valuation OF real estate in
sn'i nnl every ten years thereafter,
changing the time OF appraisement
from the first to the sixth year OF the
20 'nnial period. This was in accord
With Governor torakers recon lenua.
ton as above. The only additional,
change in this section was TO disfranchise
Gte roters Of all cities Of the first and second
cldss by taking away from them the right
to eled assessors and making them ap-
pointiN.
Section 278s contains no change ex-
cept as to the appointment Of Assessors
In cities OF the first and second class.
Section 2789 is changed 80 as to con-
form TO the appraisement made in 1885
instead OF 1880. Otherwise, the original
section remains unchanged.
! Section 2782 Is entirely now in IT.
scope and import, and
-.~~sA GOES DIRECT
For the ownsr Of real estate. II il -
follows:
! Section 2792. Each separate parcel
Of real property IaA bs pal.lsd at IL true
valus IN money, tshich shau be ascertainsd
By refsrsnce 10 ths markst palus or us,lal selJ-
N0 pvics Of similar real estats in " vicip-
W A<ys0t At Ms Tins tk sanw atau bs 0p-
proised for taxotion, excluding the value of
annual crops growing thereon, II any; bN
~ prics for uNicA sich real property suovld
NJ q auction ov at forced sGls shoN n0( b.
lgheA - NJ cTttsri01 Qf kc tvue ,ulsl<; aud
p0sps@e Or frocts Of land within LM corpor-
~ Ryib q eAiss sad plIlas" ,Aav M b.